this weeks menu

tomatoes from our neighbors garden

Rosemary roast chicken and potatoes with a crunchy green salad
Chinese egg foo young ( i want to try this recipe)
Spaghetti and meatballs
Garlic chicken and broccoli pizza
Potato soup with spicy shrimp

We made a double batch of this this weekend.
Raw milk maple walnut ice cream, with homemade hot fudge sauce.
My kids don't believe me that its not butter, and I can't stop eating it.
You should come over, I'll make you some.

this weeks menu

1. little beef tacos with fresh cilantro and onion
2. chicken with artichokes and angel hair
3. pot roast and mashed potatoes
4.grilled salmon steaks and asparagus
5. chicken parmigiana
6. chicken pot pie

By the way, I'm having this for breakfast tomorrow morning. You might want to do the same.

this weeks menu

Last weeks tomato soup and grilled chicken Caesar salad. I made it from scratch, which might always be easier than loading and unloading kids into the car going to the store. I used this recipe and I think its the first time my homemade tomato soup didn't just taste like spaghetti sauce. You know?

Anyhow, yesterday was the most beautiful day we've experienced this year. And my children have disowned the indoors. Which meant they slept very late this morning, and my house should be clean. (It' not) But I'm always trying. Does that count for something?

1.bbq meatloaf and mashed potatoes
2. roast veggie salad bread and cheese
3. chicken marsala
4. chicken noodle soup
5.pizza
6. paella

play dough

We made this dough on Friday morning using this recipe I got from a friend .
I used regular food coloring and essential oils in peppermint, lavender and grapefruit. We are very pleased with their consistency. All except the lavender. I over cooked just a bit, and is an obvious color fail  but no one else seems to mind that it's black.

Play Dough
3c. flour
1 1/2c. salt
2T. cream of tartar
3c. water
3T. oil
food coloring

Mix dry ingredients together in a non-stick pot. Add water, oil and food coloring (to your desired color) to dry mixture and cook over very low heat until dough becomes solid (only a few minutes). Don't over cook or it will become dry and brittle. Remove from heat and knead until smooth. Let cool. I divided the complete mixture into three separate bowls before cooking and  added the color and oils before I cooked them in separate pots.

this weeks menu

                              
1. Avocado burgers and corn and black bean salad with basil-lime vinniagrette
2.Italian wedding soup
3. roasted lemon chicken with a spring salad
4.glazed fingerling potato salad
5.tacos
6.manhattan clam chowder

breakfast in the mudroom

Sometimes they wake up hungry enough to warrant a banana before real breakfast is on the table.
And sometimes they share nicely.

1. spaghetti and meatballs
2. pan seared rockfish with lemon beurre blanc
3. Reuben sandwiches
4.chicken biryani
5. meatloaf with mashed potatoes
6.pizza

I am going bored with my current rotation of meals. Does anyone have a favorite they'd like to share!?

this week's menu

1. chinese chicken with broccoli
2. cheese burgers
3. pasta with bolognese sauce
4. steak and baked potatoes with a garlic green salad
5. steak fajitas
6. curried chicken salad. My kids won't stop asking for it.

curried chicken salad

2 cups of cooked diced chicken
3/4 c chopped raw carrot
3/4 c chopped raw celery
1/2 c chopped raw walnuts
1/4 dried currants
2 green onions diced

dressing

1/2 c of mayonaise
1/4 cup of olive of canola oil
2 tablespoons of good strong curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper to taste

Mix well, and dress chopped goods.
This is our favorite picnic food served with fresh french bread, fruit, and cheese. Also, I think it tastes better the next day. Hope you try it!

this week's menu

Second breakfast from last week. Blueberry muffins with a pound of butter.

1. indian pizza
2. I never got around to making the short ribs so they're still on the menu
3. enchiladas supreme
4. classic Irish corned beef and cabbage
5. surf and turf with some friends!
6. chicken souvlaki

I think I might make an apple pie today. Don't you want to make one too?

this week's menu

Hello!
I actually like Mondays. Weekend blow up our house on a very large scale, so I look forward to being able to catch up on chores and reorganize life again. Whether I an successful or not. ( secret, I'm not usually successful) But Here's to a good week of meals, cause that can fix a whole lot.

1. curried lentil soup
2. roast chicken with Dijon sauce
3. spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread
4. proper chicken Caesar salad
5. braised chile spiced short ribs with black beans
6. tuna melts with hummus and carrots sticks

this week's menu

1. lasagna
2. potatoe soup
3. this Salmon dish
4. pad see ew
5. brisket and mashed potatoes
6. NY style ruebens

My big guy turn 5 on Wednesday, and he requested meal #4. It really is one of his favorites.
I'm very flattered that most of his favorite meals are one that I make for him at home. Not counting a hand full of dinners, like McDonnalds?!( We have eaten here once or twice, but I think the play place has something to do with this choice) And Pizza hut. Sheesh. Here's to babies growing up!

this weeks menu

Swedish oatmeal pancakes (Serve with bacon of course, bananas are optional)

2 cups of oats
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
butter for skillet

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet in another. Combine. Batter is going to be lumpy. The original recipe said to let it sit refrigerated for at least 2 hours. And over night is a- okay.
I think 30 minutes is enough and overnight produces mush. But, experiment if you will. Its part of the fun I think. We eat so many of these over here. It's my fault. I wake up craving them. My cravings are playing terrible tricks on me they are.

Anyhow, here is what I plan to make this week. I never really plan lunches. Or breakfasts for that matter. We eat pancakes for breakfast, and we love leftovers for lunch.

1. Roast chicken with rosemary-garlic paste
2. Beef stew
3. Olive oil poached salmon with Indian spices
4. Sausage, red onion, and mushroom pizza
5. Chicken and broccoli
6. Steak and baked potatoes

Any or all of these dishes could get tossed out the window, last night I served Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. It was all my stomach could handle. So yeah.

happy valentines day!

via

We are planning a lazy, sweet, crafty kind of day today. Completed by our favorite spaghetti and meatballs. It will always be romantic my my eyes.

homemade deodorant only works if you use it

And then it works really well.
Here's what I might be making for dinner this week.

1. chicken pot pies in the shape of hot pockets. ( I had a dream about this)
2. real Italian manicotti
3. chicken vindaloo
4. southwestern grilled chicken salad
5. more burgers, because we love them

I actually got around to making those dumplings. They were wonky looking, but delicious. And I forgot to take a picture. Because by the time I finished them, I was too hungry for cameras. So here is a picture of some seed pods instead
.

this week's menu

1. chicken Cesar salad
2. chili with cornbread
3. cracking burgers
4. chicken and broccoli. I want to try these guys too. For Chinese new year!
5. breakfast for dinner ( probably hash browns)
6. chicken soup with rice


Our breakfast for lunch. Grits and cheesy spinach scrambled eggs. My kids never get tired of grits.

this week's menu

1. Enchiladas
2. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes
3. Chicken souvlaki (I serve it with garlic rice)
4. Tomato soup with grilled cheese
5. chicken marsala
6. Salmon and noodle stir fry

Joel and I started watching Bizarre foods. I don't recommend watching this unless you have a gut of steel. We are watching it because it's super interesting. Plus we like to cringe.

p.s. I love granola.

this week's menu

So here it is,

1. Pulled pork sandwiches red cabbage Cole slaw
2. Chicken Cesar salad
3. Smokey fish chowder
4. T-bone steaks, rosemary oven fries, and blue cheese salad
5. Black bean burrito supreme ( it means too much cheese baked on top right?)
6. Chicken and rice soup. My kids ask for it daily so I need to make it at least weekly.

Some of this planning goes straight out the window. For a number of reasons really, sometimes I don't feel like cooking them, and sometimes we eat leftovers, and then I've got food stash for the next week. But, making up a plan ahead of time takes a load of stress of my already piecey brain you know?

Did I ever tell you think guys like to eat? Like all day long? He demands food every time he thinks I might be thinking, about thinking of going into the kitchen. He should be bigger.



Second Breakfast

this week's menu

1. Pulled beef sandwiches with cole slaw( we had this at a friends house last week and my mouth won't stop watering)
2. Minestrone
3. Thai Panang curry
4. Welsh rarebit burgers
5. Roasted chicken and vegetables
6. Spaghetti and meatballs


Yesterday Phoebe turned three. We have so much fun with you honey. Thank you for bringing us the joys of princesses, pink, and all things little girl.

Happy Christmas!

Luke2:11-14
"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"


I got my moccasins. Totally not expected. Thank you Joel.
And, tomorrow is our seventh anniversary! I'm so very lucky. We got spoiled rotten over here, I hope you all did too.
This is chilling in the refridgerator, and I need to start making this to go with our Duck and roasted chestnuts. I'm seriously looking forward to dinner.

Happy Christmas to all our friends and family far and near, See you in 2011!

Love,
The Penneys!

looks perfect

I think I'm going to need some more pomegranates.

Picture, and recipe found here.